The benevolent banner., 1887-09-03
THE AFRO-AMERICAN LEAGUE
Mr.. Fortune Defines the Necessity
and Nature of Such National
ORGANIZATION.

To the Colored People of the United States:
There come periods in the history
Of every people when the necessity
OF their affairs make it imperative
that they take such steps as shall
show to the world that they are
worthy to be free, and therefore en-
titled to the sympathy Of all man
kind and to the cooperation Of all
lovers Of justice and fair play. To
do this they must unequivocably
show that while they may solicit the
sympathy and cooperation Of man
kind, they have the intelligence and
the courage to know what are their
rights and to manfully contend for
them. In the last issue Of The
FREEMAN | took occasion to propose
a vast organization of the colored
people Of the United States for the
purpose Of creating just public
opinion in the special matter of lynch
and mob law. | now feel that the
reasons then given for so vast an
organization, while in every respect
ample, might seem to some insuAici-
ent; therefore ! have proposed to
myself the task of stating more in
detail the reasons, as I understand
them, why we should take this i'm
portant step.
| am in no sense unmindful of the
vastness of the undertaking, but this
instead of being a drawback is rath-
er an incentive to prosecute the mat
ter with more earnestness and per-
sistence. There are thousands of
what are termed societies" among
us,whose object in the main is bene-
fciary. Whether anF considerable
number of these can be used direct
ly for the purpose Of the League or
not, they certainly have served as a
preparatory school for a central Ma
tional organization such as | have
suggested, and such as we need.
Therefore, if it shall be found i'm
possible to divert these organizations
from their present local nature and
circumscribed purposes, they will
still serve as feeders for the Nation
al League, as they have already
served, in ignorance of such a pur-
pose, as educators for it. The work
of preparation which they have ac-
complished seems almost as special
providence, and if the great central
organizations shall ever become a
fact, it will certainly appear to have
been such.
|
SUCH A LEAGUE.
| shall here state the reasons why
| think such League shoule be
formed. N The almost universal
suppression of our ballot in the South
and consequent taxation without
representation" since in cities,
counties and States where we have
undisputed preponderating majorl-
ties of the voting population we
have in the main no representation
! and therefore no voice in the making
, and constituting the laws under which
we live. O. The universal and
lamentable reign Of lynch and moi
law, of which we are made the vic
tins in the South, all the more ag
: gravating because all the machinery
r of the law making and enforcing au
Q thority is in the hands Of those who
:; resort to such outrageous, heinou'
and murderous violations Of the law
(3) The unequal distribution o
(. school funds collected from all tax
d PAYERS, and to the equal and an
divided benefits of which all are alik,
+;.1ad M The odious and de
: moralizing penitenltary system Q
the South, with its chain-gangs, con
J vict leases, and indiscriminate mixing
Of males and females. % The al